Problems at Feyenoord: Santi had to apologize to the captain after scoring a brace.

The Europa League started off better for Santiago Giménez. The Mexican forward began the match against Lazio on the bench, but Feyenoord coach Arne Slot bet on him and he did not disappoint: he scored a brace in Italy. However, the excellent debut of 'Bebote' was not so sweet, as - in addition to the defeat - he received harsh criticism from the Dutch club.

What happened is that he did not respect the hierarchy and took a penalty that was not his. This situation infuriated the team captain, Orkun Kökcü, who said he was "disappointed" in him, causing a heated discussion in the dressing room.

“We had a little discussion about the first penalty because there is a sign in the dressing room that says I am number one (to take penalties) [...]. Our forward (Santiago Giménez) chose to make his own decision. I am disappointed because he disobeyed me as the captain," Kökcü said in an interview with ESPN.

Meanwhile, the coach chose not to fuel the controversy and said it was "a mistake in his culture": "In this case, I think it is a mistake, but a mistake that is not a mistake in Santiago's culture. He comes to the Netherlands, but he has to adapt to our culture, and we have to immerse ourselves in his culture again. That's what I did today."

Santi's apology

After the match, Santi Giménez revealed that he had some "issues" with his teammates for taking the ball to take the penalty kick for the partial 4-1, as he is still in the process of adapting to his new team.

"I should have respected the captain. In Mexico, I learned that as a forward you have to take the penalties; grab the ball and not let go. This is a different culture, I still have a lot to learn," he said in an interview with Fox Sports.

Bebote's brace: relive Santi's goals in the Europa League

There is no doubt that Feyenoord's goal came off the bench in the first matchday of the Europa League, as the entry of Santiago Giménez changed the face of the Dutch team at the Olympic Stadium in Rome against Lazio. Bebote entered with everything and scored a brace to debut in the 'Old Continent' tournament.

Santi Giménez made history with Feyenoord as soon as he entered. The Mexican forward came on in the 64th minute of the match, with the Dutch team trailing 4-0, and it only took him five minutes to reduce the deficit. In the 68th minute, Santiago Giménez won a penalty that he himself scored powerfully in the center of the goal, thus beating goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.

But it didn't end there, as before the end of the match: in the 88th minute, he scored a brace. Bebote appeared in the Roman area, where he made a great play, leaving two Lazio defenders behind with a feint, to score a great goal.

Santi made history in Europe

With this goal - his third in just four games played - Santiago Giménez joins the list of Mexicans who have scored in the Europa League, which includes names like Hugo Sánchez, Giovani Dos Santos, Javier Hernández, Raúl Jiménez, Jonathan Dos Santos, Manuel Negrete, Jared Borgetti, Luis García, Hirving Lozano, Diego Lainez, Andrés Guardado, and Guillermo Franco.

Receive our newsletter: we will send you the best sports content, as Depor always does.